Fix You
by DearMyDreamer
Summary: Avoidance and emotional strain plague their lives; lost souls shatter against self-made walls. When no one sees the broken glass, who will fix the hopeless? Rated for language. AU.
1. I

_When you try your best but you don't succeed  
When you get what you want but not what you need  
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep  
Stuck in reverse. _

* * *

Sasuke's eyes snapped open suddenly, frustration working its way through his system. Lately it seemed as if sleep were determined to rebel him, and instead leave him with thoughts about someone he was rather determined to forget existed these days. Granted, it was hard to ignore someone who happened to be his best friend, but he tried regardless. It was either ignore him, or fantasize about him in ways that best friends shouldn't. 

At that last thought, Sasuke bit back the urge to slap himself. The key was to _not_ think about him. If he thought about him, he fantasized about him. If he fantasized about him, he felt like a disturbingly gay pervert. He really didn't need that at the moment. Especially when he had a short-tempered girlfriend who would pummel him instantly if she knew his thoughts.

In a desperate attempt for distraction he rolled over to face his alarm clock. Green numbers flashed _4:09 am _into his tired dark eyes and he inwardly sighed with relief. He had work in two hours anyway. Scooting off the bed quietly as to not wake Sakura, he headed toward the bathroom to shower. The cool tile under his feet shook any leftover hopes of sleep out of his body, preparing him for the fact that he had made it to another day. Oh how lucky he was.

A regular day for him consisted of getting up, going to work (or school), meeting Sakura for lunch, working again, coming home, ordering take out (usually health food), waiting for Sakura to come home, and going to bed. He flinched as the hot water from the shower sprayed over his pale goose pimpled skin. He used to take showers with Sakura months ago, when she first moved in. It was nice to say the least. She always made him feel normal and calm, never minding how silent he liked to be and giving him space when he asked for it. Somehow though, during all the normalcy he was enjoying, things had calmed down into his every day schedule and it was suddenly as if they were just best friends again, only sharing the same bed.

He sighed as he lathered his head with shampoo. His relationship calming down wasn't the problem. It was that he was aware of it and didn't care at all. He still liked Sakura, and she was still with him, but shouldn't he care just the slightest that it was getting…boring? Something told him that he should, and that he needed to be making efforts to spark it up again, but another alarming realization was that he didn't want to. What was _wrong_ with him? He almost dropped the soap when he remembered. The person he wasn't supposed to be thinking about. The person who made him doubt his sanity. The person who made his heart jump while Sakura only kept him at a steady beat. It was their fault. _Naruto_.

Rubbing the rest of the soap off in annoyance, he quickly stopped his train of thought there. He stopped the water and got out in a huff, snatching his towel from the rack violently. Normal thoughts. What was he doing today? Oh yes, internship under his guardian, Kakashi. He was determined to one day reinstate the firm his family had once run, but until than he was an intern. A lowly, annoying intern, as Kakashi so wonderfully reminded him every day. There, normal thoughts. It wasn't so hard.

Having dried off, he wrapped the towel around his waist and made his way toward the closet. He wasn't a fan of long sleeved shirts and ties, but unfortunately he wasn't allowed to come into work in an undershirt and boxers. Not that he would anyway, but if there was no one else there to see him that might possibly be an option. He slipped on said favored white undershirt and boxers and grimaced as he turned to his neatly pressed work clothes. He would enjoy his life so much more if he were as graced as the Subaku siblings or the Hyuuga cousins. They were taken into their family businesses immediately. Sasuke's easy future had died with his family, and all he could do was be thankful the person responsible was behind bars while getting coffee for his boss. Life sucked.

He tiptoed back across the room when he was done and made a beeline for the kitchen, or more specifically, the coffee pot. Caffeine was his addiction, and he was not ashamed. While he was waiting for the pot to fill, he went over to check his palm pilot that was, as always, charging on the counter. He _could_ charge it in his bedroom like everyone else, but he didn't want to be held responsible for what happened to the person who dared to disturb his rare beauty sleep. And these days he really needed it. As expected he had no messages, so he went on to check the daily forecast. It was luck that he had the thing in the first place. One of his old friends decided they didn't want it anymore so he gladly offered to take it off their hands. That had been one of his luckier days. This one apparently was not. It was expected to rain that afternoon.

A few minutes later he found himself sulking on his loveseat sipping coffee, and looking around the small living room in boredom. Most of the things decorating the small apartment were Sakura's, since Sasuke never kept things for very long. For instance, the bookshelf against the wall on his right was hers. She put her medical and leisure reading books in it and managed to fill every shelf except for the center one. That one was strictly of photos of friends, and one of them was even his. It was the center one, adorned with a plain wood frame, but it was the most important. All of his childhood friends were in it and every time it caught his eye it make him smile a little, but more from the story behind it than anything.

It was taken the day before high school graduation in front of Kiba's vet van (that was really his mother's). They all thought it was a good idea to go for a night on the town and enjoy their last night of being high school students. Worst. Idea. Ever. The van smelled like dogs. Sakura and her best friend Ino wouldn't stop fighting over him. Someone accidentally gave Lee sake and most of the guys sported black eyes by the time he was sober again. Chouji ate all the snacks. Than truth or dare went horribly wrong when Sasuke was forced to jump into a freezing cold lake naked and even worse, when Naruto volunteered to go with him. Than Lee decided to jump in as well, followed by Kiba, and Chouji. To present day he couldn't figure out_why_ they did it, other than the alcohol influence of course, but he was grateful that they did. Otherwise, he would have been in a very compromising situation with Naruto for certain.

Sasuke blinked away the memory and moved on. The night may have been hell, but graduation day was worse. They hadn't gotten much sleep, half of them were still drunk or hung over, and they were late to their own ceremony by fifteen minutes and were forced to sneak into their seats one by one. With their parents watching. Needless to say more than a few were grounded after that. But in the picture, before it all, he couldn't get over how carefree they looked. He, Shino, Neji, and Gaara were trying to look cool, Shikamaru was staring at the sky, Chouji was next to him eating slimjims, Narudobe and Kiba were squatting down in front making faces, Hinata was blushing like mad next to Neji, Sakura and Ino were fighting in the back, and Lee and TenTen were standing back-to-back making peace signs. Yeah, it was fun back than, before life decided to _really_ suck. Too bad he couldn't do anything about it now.

He downed the last bit of his coffee in resignation. He had to head to work at last. After putting the cup in the sink, he crept back into the bedroom to warn Sakura the alarm would go off soon. If he didn't, he would end up having to buy a new one again. She mumbled randomly in her sleep and Sasuke felt guilty as he kissed her cheek. She had no idea what went on inside his mind and who he always thought of instead of her. She groaned at the light contact and made to swat him away. That was her way of saying, 'I'm awake now go away, I have bad morning breath.' He chuckled lightly before leaving the room again and heading toward the front door. Another day, indeed.

* * *

**_Author's Blab:_**_So, this is my first story in a long time. I'm also proud to say that it is pre-finished so there won't be any worrying over me giving up half-way through. It's not going to be overly dramatic or long, just something to read whilst waiting for your other stories to update. I will post a new chapter every four days (twice a week) so be expecting it! Tata loves!_

**Before I Forget: **I Don't own the Naruto series...at all...or the characters...or the song this was based from ('Fix You' by Coldplay).

-A


	2. Will

_And the tears come streaming down your face_

_When you lose something you can't replace_

_When love someone but it goes to waste_

_Could it be worse? _

* * *

Naruto was bored. Naruto was hungry. Naruto really wished he had a dog, because instead he was stuck with a monster named Kyuubi. Said monster was thirty pounds of angry cat mass covered in rusty red fur and unfortunately for Naruto, he hated baths. After a year of experience the bouncy blonde had only found one way to wash the insane feline: lock him in the bathroom, throw him into a tub of soapy water, than spray him clean. Being a stunt performer, he was used to dangerous work, but he could never comprehend the power of the cat's claws and how they expertly aimed at the most sensitive spots on his arms, hands, legs, and even once, his crotch. Damn cat. 

Sure enough, an hour after the bathroom door closed, Naruto found himself shirtless and washing blood off his arms while the drenched furball licked himself under the toilet. After drying his aching forearms, he threw the last clean towel on the water-pooled floor with the rest. Kyuubi growled dangerously as it landed near his feet and Naruto winced at the warning, quickly making his escape from the bathroom. Now that his chore of the day was done, he had to start getting ready for dinner.

As of recent tradition, every Friday night he, Sakura, and Sasuke would walk down to a small restaurant not three blocks away to catch up. This of course included griping about work, repeating gossipy stories about what their old friends were up to, and on occasion getting incoherently drunk. This meeting was primarily what kept the trio in touch since Naruto was the odd man out, but though he was grateful to hang out with his best friends, he also found the get-together somewhat painful.

From the start he wasn't fond of his best friends dating each other. Back when it started he was still overly infatuated with Sakura, so it was understandable that he felt a bit angry. It was when his feelings for her ebbed away that he realized there was something wrong. If he didn't like Sakura, why would he have a problem? They didn't ignore him, they weren't the type for massive PDA, they still acted the same, so why did he have the urge to flinch every time they held hands? It took him the majority of three confusing months to figure it out, and when he did, it hit him like an old lady's purse.

He liked Sasuke.

His best friend.

Who was a guy.

In a way that would make yaoi fangirls scream.

Fuck. A. Duck.

Naruto bit back a growl as he looked into his tiny closet. He hated winter with a passion, but in this case he would need the long sleeves anyway. Sakura would have kittens if she saw the claw marks on his arms. He paused, hand poised to grab the shirt, to reflect about that last thought. Heh, irony. He snapped the black shirt off the hanger and hastily put it on, heading back to the bathroom to check his appearance. Though black was one his regular colors, he only liked the shirt for the orange swirls on the chest and elbows. They helped accent his nice shiny orange earring.

As of habit, the small accessory was one of the first things Naruto saw on his reflection. It was more then just a jewel or favorite color to him. He and Sasuke had each gotten one, Naruto on his right and Sasuke his left, to show their friendship. It sounded pretty stupid present day, but the two were seventeen at the time and sugar high as well. Of course Sasuke had been resistant at first, but after a couple hours of Naru-begging, the blonde was dragging the raven into Claire's for a free lobe piercing. Naruto smirked as he remembered the look on Sasuke's face, the woman coming at him with the earring gun while preteen girls drooled over him from across the store. Priceless.

Sighing contentedly, he left the bathroom and walked to the front door, stopping at the cheaply painted entryway for his mental checklist. Clothing? Check. Keys? Back pocket. Check. Wallet? Other back pocket. Check. Cell phone? Front pocket. Check. Kyuubi? Negative. He turned and scanned the cramped living area, stopping on the white-turned-red coach where said feline was licking himself. Naruto grinned evilly.

Sneaking up on his grouchy companion, he leaned his face in as close as he dared, taking in a great breath and… "KYUUBI! I'm gonna miss YOU!" The fat cat jumped into the air and bolted off the couch, nearly ramming into the opposite wall before he stopped. Naruto gave a light chuckle as he made his way back to the door. Check. He slipped on his sandals and waved good-humoredly to Kyuubi, who was giving him a bone rattling I-am-mando-kitty-hear-me-roar glare, and finally left his apartment.

Holy kami-tsunami was it cold outside. Being the idiot he was well known as, he didn't bother with a coat and it was well too late to go grab it from his bedroom. Taking the metal stairs two at a time, he headed down toward the paved ground that lead out to the sidewalk in front of the building. He skidded to a halt on the walkway and looked down its right side, finding what he wanted immediately. Only a few seconds in the distance were Sasuke and Sakura, the red covered girl hugging her lover's arm as usual. Naruto waved to them enthusiastically and smiled as Sakura waved back.

"Naruto! Hi!" she greeted him, now only a few feet away. Naruto easily fell into step with them on the other side of Sasuke, carefully measuring the distance between them.

The Raven however, seemed to care less. Without even giving Naruto a glance, he drawled out, "You moron, why aren't you wearing a coat?" Of course Sasuke was wearing a classy long black p-coat and matching gloves, and even Sakura (who was now scolding Naruto with her eyes) was matching with knitted red gloves, beanie, and jacket.

Rubbing his hand behind his head, he answered shakily, "Um…I forgot it, again." The corner of Sasuke's lipped twitched and Sakura went into her usual blown up lecture on how unhealthy it is to keep forgetting his jacket. It didn't matter much to Naruto in all honesty. He was such a fast healer that any cold he could manage to get would be gone in a few days. The buzzing in his ear that was Sakura continued until the restaurant, Ichiraku's, came into view. The thought of the amazing ramen meal awaiting him popped into his thoughts, only to be burst again by a fist slamming into his head.

"Are you even listening to me idiot?!" Sakura bellowed into his ear, grounding her knuckle as far into his crown as she could manage.

Naruto winced in pain and cowered immediately. "Ow, ow, ow! Yes Sakura! I won't forget I promise!" The hand of death released at once and the she-devil turned back into the sweet cotton candy head that he preferred. It always amazed him how she could do that.

"Are you two done yet?" Sasuke asked, holding the door open for them. Sakura ran up and kissed him on the cheek before entering. The familiar sick feeling entered Naruto's stomach at the sight and he looked at the ground determinedly as he passed his handsome friend. He would give up ramen for life if he could have Sasuke.

The three took their usual table against the far wall and had their drinks ordered. They decided to shy away from alcohol for the night since Naruto had to jump onto a moving truck the next day and Sakura had to work. Sasuke only drank for the sake of an occasion; something about alcohol made him feel defiled and undignified so he avoided it as much as possible. Naruto could never understand Sasuke's way of thinking, but than again, he didn't understand a lot of things.

A plate of nachos, two arguments, and a funny story about Ino later, Sakura was ready to leave. The pink haired girl announced her decision and stood up, putting on the jacket and gloves she had previously removed. Naruto whined defiantly from his seat, "But it isn't even that late yet! And you didn't have desert!"

She smiled sweetly at him, visibly attempting to hide the eye twitch at the mention of desert. "Tsunade had me running around like a mad person again Naruto, I need some rest." She sighed and walked over to the blonde, promptly jamming her knuckle into his skull. "Just remember to get your jacket next time okay? If you don't, I'll put it on you by _force_." He nodded weakly, whimpering as she let him go and moved on to Sasuke. Of course, Mr. Perfect got a kiss instead of a knuckle.

"Do you want me to go with you?" the raven offered politely. Naruto tried not to glare; he didn't want to leave yet, but he didn't want to be alone with Sasuke either…

"No, that's okay. You two can hang out for while. I'm sure Naruto doesn't want to leave yet." Sasuke didn't reply, and with that she was gone. Oh, if only she knew.

There was an awkward silence between the two boys for a while, and just when Naruto started to get antsy Sasuke smoothly struck up a conversation about their friend Gaara, whom Naruto kept in touch with frequently. Little by little, the nervous ball in his gut loosened until finally, it was almost gone. It took a half hour to realize how close he and Sasuke were; both were leaning on the table, Sasuke with his chin resting against his neatly folded hands, and Naruto with his head leaning on his left hand. So close, yet there was no hope of getting closer. That is, until Sasuke reached forward and grabbed the hand Naruto was resting on.

After making sure his head wasn't going to smack the table, the blonde accessed what had just happened. Sasuke, who made comments, who looked but never touched, was holding his hand in both of his own. Naruto was blown away. Than he realized that his shirtsleeve was being pushed up and blinked curiously. Though his throat was running dry, he asked, "Wh-What are you doing?"

Sasuke glared at his wrist and inquired bitterly, "Where did you get these cuts?"

Realization crossed Naruto's face and he resisted the urge to laugh. Whether it was at himself or at the situation, he was unsure. "Oh, I gave Kyuubi a bath earlier. You know how he gets…" He gave the best reassuring smile he could manage and relaxed when the raven's glare softened and moved to the table.

"I still don't know why you keep that thing. If it hurts you so much you should get rid of it." There was a surprising hint of anger in his voice, but Naruto found it hard to believe Sasuke was the type to take revenge out on a cat just for a few scratches.

Shyness crept up into Naruto's cheeks, flushing them with red as Sasuke's grip on his hand tightened slightly. "You know he's not that bad…and I've had him a long time…" His voice faded out, and the Raven nodded in defeat. Silence ensued for a while, Sasuke seemingly deep in thought and Naruto slowly turning into the shade of a tomato. After two minutes of agonizing hand holding, the blonde choked out, "U-um, can I have my hand back now?"

Sasuke's gaze crept back up to their hands and suddenly jumped back as if he had been burned. Shock was given, and that's what Naruto had expected to see, but not the immense amount of confusion that consumed his friend's features. He hadn't seen that much perplexity on Sasuke's face since his brother was sent to jail. Why was he confused now? What for?

Naruto's brows furrowed as his friend suddenly stood from his seat and threw on his coat. If he was in any condition to form words, he would have asked him where he was going, but instead just watched as he hurried out the door. In the back of his mind something clicked in place, but the tip of his tongue couldn't seem to form it into sense. Whatever had just happened, Naruto could only be sure that it wasn't good.

* * *

**-Enter Ridiculous Disclaimer That Isn't Necessary Because If I Owned Naruto I Wouldn't Be Writing Fanfiction For Goodness Sake Here-**

**Author's Blab: **_I'm usually not one for whoring other people's work, but if you have a spare minute I highly suggest you check out _redfoxblackraven'_s Naruto fanfictions. They are written amazingly well and absolutely blew me away. That's all for now! ._


	3. Try

_And high up above or down below_

_When you're too in love to let it go_

_But if you never try you'll never know_

"_Just what your worth" _

* * *

The chilled air bit at Sasuke's skin as he hurried down the walkway. What had he just done? His emotions and longing had taken over so quickly…and he had held Naruto's hand. He flinched visibly, not because of the action, but at how good it felt to hold his best friend's warm, soft hand in his own.

He couldn't do this, not to Sakura, not to Naruto, and not to himself. He could not allow himself to love his best friend while he was dating another. Especially when the probability of his love being requited was so low. No, he would go back into his routine and forget. Push all of those thoughts away and forget about his feelings for Naruto. If he fought it hard enough and forgot, maybe it would stay that way.

Warmth returned to him as he entered his apartment. The lights were off and the only sound he could hear was the clock hanging in the kitchen. Sakura must have gone to bed already. He removed his coat and put it neatly on the hanger by the door, as usual. He went into his closet and changed into his nightclothes, as usual. He crawled into bed beside his girlfriend and waited for sleep to take him, as usual. Oh yes, he would forget.

The next morning he awoke to the wonderful smell of coffee and the not so wonderful sight of early morning Sakura. The pink-haired girl normally had a short-temper, but in the mornings it was just ridiculous. Sasuke was forced to walk on eggshells around her until she finally left for work, or else risk getting 'accidentally' shoved into the wall. He also had a feeling that her angry, cleavage consumed boss didn't help in the matter either. The insane woman nearly killed him when he came to apologize to Sakura for a fight they'd had. It was nothing like being scolded at a high volume with boobs in his face _in a hospital_ to make him truly sorry.

He shuddered at the memory and made a beeline for the shower. With any luck he could make it out of the apartment unscathed, and with a lot of luck he wouldn't hit traffic on the way to work. He was ill fated on both counts. He walked into the firm twenty minutes late sporting a hidden bruise on his forearm, and just when he thought the worst was over, Kakashi decided to say hello.

The half-masked gray haired man casually walked up beside him and slung an arm over his shoulders. "Someone forgot Hokage Highway was closed this morning." Sasuke scowled and set his things next to Kakashi's desk, pulling up a chair and laying his coat over the back of it. The older pervert took his silence as a hint to get on with it. "Well, I heard from a little birdie that you're finally going to get to do something other than paper work and coffee. A court case perhaps?"

Sasuke granted him a sideways glance. Ever since he started his internship he had been mostly ignored except to be stuffed full of paper work. To tell him that he would get to work a court case was like handing him a willing Naruto. He mentally slapped himself. _Christmas_. It was like Christmas coming early. He shook his head in response, "That's doubtful."

Kakashi grinned knowingly, glancing behind the raven boy's shoulder. "We'll see. It had better be true, because I'm sick of sharing my desk with you."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched in irritancy. It wasn't as if he wanted to share a desk with the creep anyway. They'd had to share a _house_ for years on end and as soon as he moved out they ended up in a desk together. It certainly wasn't his cup of tea. "New guy!" The voice of his boss shouted from behind him, "My office in five minutes!" Sasuke turned in disbelief as the office door slammed shut.

"Yes, he meant you," Kakashi stated, sitting down in his chair. Sasuke glared at him as he smiled with his eyes. The man honestly couldn't be completely cruel, as Sasuke had black mail on him, but he could still be annoying. The onyx-eyed boy just happened to be one of the few who knew why Kakashi wore a mask, and if it leaked out that the son of one of the most well known mass murderers was working in Konoha as a _lawyer_, well…it wouldn't turn out well.

The slightly apprehensive raven turned away from his guardian and walked slowly to the office door. Silently taking a deep breath, he entered the room and peeked inside. His boss, Ibiki Morino, had to be one of the scariest human beings Sasuke had ever met. Quite basically, if you got on his bad side, you went missing not too long afterward…and never came back.

The large, scar faced man glanced up from the papers piled on his desk, "Come in and sit down." Sasuke did as he was told, still not feeling very comfortable even as he sunk into the squishy chair across from the man. Ibiki gave him an I-see-your-naughty-thoughts stare, boring into him for a few moments before speaking, "I know you came here for experience, and since you're in your third year of law school I decided to see if any large case popped up for me to involve you with. Lucky for you, I've been put on the Orochimaru case and am allowed to have a trainee working with me. Granted, you won't be doing much, but this is the real thing and it's going to be the firm's top priority for a while. Think you can handle it?" Sasuke nodded silently in disbelief. "Good, now get out of my office. The briefing is later this afternoon."

Still in shock, he made his way back to Kakashi's desk and sat down. The pervert eyed him curiously and cleared his throat. "So I'm going to take a guess and say it was good news, right?" Sasuke nodded, looking at his paper work with an unfocused gaze. Kakashi's eyes curved happily. "_Great_. I'm so happy for you."

Finally collecting himself, the raven glared daggers at him. "Liar." Kakashi didn't disagree. In fact, he didn't say anything at all and instead pulled out his favorite "Icha Icha" book and began to read. That was another thing Sasuke had on his blackmail list; Kakashi's revolting obsession with reading smut books.

He sighed in defeat and slowly got to work on lowering the amount of papers crowding his desk. It seemed as though time wasn't going fast enough, as every time he glanced at the clock only a few minutes had gone by, but when noon rolled around everyone was called into the conference room. Sitting down at the table, Sasuke began to feel on edge and unwelcome. He had never done this before and would have to be especially careful not to embarrass himself.

Thankfully, he didn't have to worry. Folders were passed out with copies of information on the case, what had happened and needed to be done was explained, and everyone was dismissed. He was just thinking of how it all seemed too easy, when he once again looked at the clock. It was nearly one and if he didn't hurry he would miss his lunch with Sakura. Ignoring the smug look Kakashi was giving him, he grabbed his coat, briskly walked down to the lobby, and exited the building.

Sakura was waiting for him at their usual table with the look at certain death spread across her face, and when she caught sight of him entering the café, Sasuke had half a mind to go right back outside. Instead, being the brave soul he liked to consider himself to be, he calmly strolled over and sat in the chair opposite of hers. There were a few moments of tense silence, during which he knew she was probably inwardly tossing a coin on his fate, before she addressed him in her controlled-anger voice. "Where were you? You know I hate it when you're late and DON'T CALL FIRST!" Sasuke flinched at her raised tone, suddenly aware of the eyes starting to drift toward their direction. He braced himself as she pulled an object out of her purse…his phone. "You also forgot THIS in the kitchen this morning. You're lucky I forgot my I.D. badge or you would be in SERIOUS trouble right now!" She slid the thin telephone harshly across the table and looked away in a huff.

Being lectured was one of Sasuke's pet peeves. He swore that nothing drove him more insane, even Naruto couldn't… "I have a good reason, if you're up to hearing it." Her right eye twitched, than she slowly turned to face him again, granting him her undivided attention. It didn't take long to tell her about the case and by the time he was done explaining what he could, all of her anger was forgotten.

"This is _huge_! I can't believe it!" Sakura exclaimed, bouncing in her seat. Sasuke looked indifferent, but on the inside he was river dancing. Yes, that feeling of going somewhere in life was starting to creep back into him and he didn't mind a bit. "When are you due in court?"

The waitress chose that moment to walk up to them and take their order, and Sasuke patiently waited for her to leave to answer, "The first court session in on Thursday. It's going to take a while for everything to be settled though." He resisted the urge to lean back in his seat as Sakura almost exploded with excitement. She rambled on about how good this was for him and about having only one year left of law school before switching topics entirely and telling him about Ino's latest relationship adventures. This happened everyday, as Sasuke wasn't prone to talking. Sakura just took over and he listened or rather, pretended to listen. By the time lunch was ended Sasuke's ears were ready to fall off and ravished in the lonely walk back to work. Monday he had school again, so this walk would be missed. On class days Sakura met him on campus with a packed lunch to save him from going far, since his classes were unfortunately close together time-wise. To think, he only had one more year after this one before he could _really_ do something. Not just classes, but actual work and helping people. He could make _sure_ his brother stayed in jail, saving who knew how many people from murder…people like his parents.

He did his usual go-away-depressing-thoughts head shaking and took out his phone. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the blank screen, not understanding why Sakura would turn it off if she wanted it with him so badly. He pressed the red button and held it until lights flashed on the small gadget, telling him it was alive. All right so it was still on silent, that was a good thing, but why had she… Sasuke nearly stopped in his tracks as an alert popped up on the screen.

15 Missed Calls 15 Voicemail Messages From: Naruto Uzumaki 

_What on EARTH?_ He had never, ever, EVER, had that many missed calls in one day and especially not from one person alone. Than again it was Naruto, so if anyone were to do it, it would be the blonde boy wonder. The person he wasn't supposed to be thinking about…right. He made the alert disappear and put his phone in his pant pocket, spotting the door to his building just ahead. Taking a deep breath, he walked through the doors to the lobby and welcomed the rush of warm air. It was only half way through the day, but he felt as if eternity had passed already. The only thing keeping him going was his goal to be better, and the thought of his soft bed sheets waiting for him at home.

_Five Days Later…_

Sasuke wanted to kill his cell phone. He wanted to chuck it out of the office window, watch the broken pieces get run over, and laugh manically. But instead, he calmly turned it off before heading to the courthouse with his boss and Kakashi. Naruto had been persistent with his calls, and Sasuke refused to relent. If anyone were to look at his latest missed phone calls, they would find about one hundred from Naruto and one from Sakura. It was bad.

What was worse was that he couldn't turn it off without a valid reason. If Sakura called and he didn't answer, he was dead meat. If he blocked Naruto's phone number and Sakura found out, he was dead meat. Either way he was doomed, so he just let his phone vibrate against his leg all day, being especially careful not to let it slip too close to his crotch.

As the courthouse doors became larger, the three men growing closer, Sasuke knew he should be nervous. He knew he should be focused. He knew he should only be thinking about the case and how he had to observe everything that went on, but instead his thoughts went to the phone in his pocket and the blonde boy who was probably worried sick.

That was another thing that had bugged him all week. Not just the phone, but also his inability to control his thoughts of Naruto. Normally he had it all under control and at the first thought of the hyper boy, Sasuke immediately shoved it from his mind. Lately though, he couldn't stop his train of thoughts at all. It got so bad that he was thinking about him in his _sleep_, and he swore that whatever demented little fairy went around granting people gay wet dreams-should go drown in pesticide.

Everyone stood in the courtroom as the trial was called into session. Sasuke sat in the first bench just behind Kakashi and Ibiki's desk. His heart should be pounding, he should be excited, but all that crossed his mind, even as the intimidating defendant was sworn in, was a mess of blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

When he arrived home Sakura was already there, watching soap operas on the couch while studying one of her medical books. She greeted him and asked him about his day. He ignored her and went into their bedroom to change. That had been happening increasingly, as every time he looked at her he felt guilty. He hadn't even done anything, but just being reminded of who plagued his mind was enough to drive his gaze away from hers. She wasn't an idiot either; she knew he was avoiding her. He could tell by her determination in talking to him, and trying to get him to spend more time with her. Sasuke wanted nothing more than to have a normal relationship with his girlfriend, but as he looked at the missed calls alert on his phone, he knew it wouldn't happen until one thing was settled.

He had to make a decision about Naruto. He had to tell him what his thoughts were, what his feelings were, and even if the blonde rejected him completely…Sasuke knew it was the only way for everything to get back to normal. Tomorrow was Friday. Tomorrow he would see Naruto. Tomorrow, he would tell him the truth.

* * *

**Author's Blab: **_Wow, I have reviewers. O.o That's new. Than again, i've never posted more than a few chapters of a story before... Yeah, that could have something to do with it. Anyway, much thanks to anyone giving my story the light of day._

**-Enter Disclaimer _That Is Completely And Totally Unecessary Because I Don't Own Anything Worth Writing Fanfiction About_ Here**_- _


	4. To

_And the tears stream down your face,_

_When you lose something you cannot replace,_

_Tears stream down your face_

_And I…_

* * *

Friday had rolled around again and the simplest word to describe Naruto's mood was pissed. After Sasuke so hurriedly escaped his presence last week, Naruto had been truly worried and called him to make sure he was all right. He forgave him the first few times the voicemail so arrogantly answered the call, but after a while he caught on the bandwagon and realized the _bastard_ was ignoring him! What the hell! All week long, Naruto dutifully called his friend in worry, and the stupid bastard didn't pick up once. The only reason he knew the raven-boy wasn't dead was that Sakura had answered the phone on more than one occasion, and every time Sasuke was conveniently not available. If Sasuke skipped out on dinner, he was going to have a very angry blonde breaking into his house. 

Of course, the haughty raven must have come to that conclusion himself, because he strolled down the sidewalk right on time with Sakura dutifully attached to his arm as usual. Remembering the severe beating he had received last time, Naruto had made sure to put on his tan jacket, but even as he fell into step and Sakura praised him, his spirits didn't lift. He could never figure out how Sasuke did it-how he kept such a deadpan expression when something was obviously going on. Just as he opened his mouth to confront his friend however, a certain someone's hand reached over and grabbed his. Naruto wasn't aware his blood could rush to his cheeks so fast. The sensation only lasted a moment as the hand pulled away, leaving a small piece of paper behind. Quickly recovering from his fluster, Naruto inspected the note curiously. Than, making sure Sakura wasn't looking, he unfolded it and glared at Sasuke's pretty scrolled writing.

_'We'll talk later. Don't be a Dobe.'_

He crumbled it furiously, trying desperately to contain his anger. After a week of being ignored, that's all he had to say? Taking a deep breath, he trudged his way through the rest of the walk in silence. He didn't even attempt to speak until they were already seated and Sakura was asking him how his week went.

Putting on a fake smile, he answered her easily, "Same old I guess. I didn't break anything, but I've but a nasty cut on my leg again…OW!" He gripped his head as it throbbed. He could never understand how Sakura had so much strength.

Said pink haired girl was twitching in irritation again, not in the least bit sorry for punching him. "I hate you're job! I swear, maybe it's a good thing you don't have a girlfriend! She'd be worried even more than me!" She glanced at Sasuke and in an instant she was all smiles again. "Sasuke on the other hand has a safe job, and he's doing well too. He's gone to court already and everything!" She attached herself to him affectionately, not even noticing her lover's lack of reaction.

Naruto's brows furrowed for a moment, then he asked, "Wait, Sasuke went to court?"

Sakura blinked in surprise, "He didn't tell you?" She glanced at her raven again, only to find him staring blankly at the table, not paying any attention to them at all. "Well, he said that he told you…but, his boss is having him help with a really big case."

"What? Really?!" Naruto bounced in excitement. He may have been angry at the bastard, but he still cared about him. "What's it about?"

"This really sick guy," Sakura told him, lowering her voice a bit, "called Orochimaru. Evidently he experimented on people for some really gruesome science projects. You would think there'd be plenty of evidence and stuff, but Sasuke says he's covered up really well. They can hardly find anything on him."

"It's because he has a lot of important _friends_ to count on." They both jumped slightly as Sasuke himself spoke up, still staring at the table. "His lawyer is one of the best, and he has professionals on his side to help hide the evidence."

Curiosity mode fully activated, Naruto prodded some more. "Professionals in what?"

Sasuke looked him right in the eye, ignoring the suggestive shiver running down his back. "Not getting caught."

The blonde visibly swallowed at the heavy sentence, suddenly losing all interest in asking questions. Sensing unwanted tension, Sakura stood up to the plate. "All right, enough talk about work! It's time for food, then getting piss ass drunk!" She raised her mighty fist in the air for emphasis and both men rolled their eyes. They were in for a long night if she was in that mood.

Two hours later, it was just as she had said. They were more then done eating, and Sakura was facing Naruto in a drink off. Normally that would be Sasuke's cue to run off somewhere, but they forced him into judging and though he wouldn't admit it, he was amused. No matter how much talk Naruto let out, Sakura was still a much better drinker and had yet to lose to the blonde.

"HA! I win agaaain!" Sakura danced in her chair as Naruto's head hit the table in shame. The malicious woman giggled in triumph and clumsily reached her arm out across the table. "C'mon Naru-chan. You _have_ to owe me at least five-thousand yen by noooow!" Sasuke smirked lightly at the blonde's distress before a rather rowdy group interrupted their get-together.

"You beating up Naruto _again_, forehead?" Ino smiled confidently at her friend as she sauntered up to their table, leaving Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba, and Hinata in her wake.

Sakura scrunched up her face in irritation and glared dazedly at the blonde girl. "Shut up Ino-pig! You wanna go?!" She stood up rather ungracefully and got right into the other girl's face.

Grimacing in disgust, Ino snarled back, "I'll kick your ass! Move!" she pushed passed to an empty table and sat down, calling to a waitress that she wanted to order.

Grinning in triumph, Sakura turned to Hinata. "Alright! Hinata, you're the judge! You don't want to hang around these jerks anyway!" She slung a drunken arm around the girl, dragging her over to the table as if she couldn't hear the stuttered protests.

"Women are so troublesome," grumbled Shikamaru, pulling up two chairs for he and Chouji.

Kiba had already taken a very comfortable residence in Sakura's vacant chair, and was proceeding to poke Naruto, who had yet to raise his head. "Yo! You dead?" An incoherent mumble answered. "What?"

Naruto lifted his head lamely to look at his friend. "I said: she always beats me. It's not fair!" He leaned back in his chair again, scowling at the ceiling as if it were the one pounding his pride to a pulp.

Shikamaru sighed lazily, "If she always beats you then why do you always go against her?"

"Because he's a moron, that's why." For the second time that night, as the teasing words curved off of Sasuke's tongue, their eyes met. Naruto's blush returned full force at the stare, and he quickly looked away, glaring at air.

For the rest of the night he couldn't concentrate. Sasuke kept staring at him, and giving him weird glances. It unnerved Naruto to the bone, and if the other's noticed they certainly didn't say anything. At half passed eleven, the raven called it a night. "As much fun as this unexpected encounter has been, I have a busy schedule tomorrow. You coming Naruto?" The blonde jumped at the sound of his name and quickly gathered his things to leave.

"That's not a nice way to say good-bye," Chouji stated, pointing an accusing finger at the men.

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Since when has Uchiha ever been _nice_?" He sent a wink to Naruto, who chuckled as he threw on his coat.

Ignoring the comment, Sasuke called back to his girlfriend. "Sakura, Naruto and I are leaving." He received a fit of giggles in response and took that as a 'go ahead.' Without even so much as a nod to the others, he swiftly left the restaurant.

Naruto hurriedly gave their friends a farewell and ran after him, anger twitching in his stomach from the discourteous behavior. "You're being more rude than the usual. What's wrong?"

Sasuke didn't grace him with an answer and instead kept his fast paced stride down the sidewalk. Naruto was used to this, so he kept his temper in check until they reached his apartment gate. Only then, when they had come to a halt in front of the open wrought iron doors, did the raven speak. "Naruto, I have to talk to you seriously so please listen." Naruto nodded dumbly and hardened his expression when Sasuke turned away from him. What was going on? "Ever since we've known each other I've felt something for you. In these last few years I've come to realize what it was, and I've tried to ignore it, but lately it has become too much to handle. I seem to have an affection towards you that's even greater then what I have ever felt for Sakura."

Stiffening in surprise, Naruto's eyes widened in hope. Was Sasuke-was Sasuke trying to say that he loved him? The blonde took a step forward, reaching out to his friend, but was interrupted by more words. "But I can't go on like this, Naruto. What ever I'm feeling for you has to end here. It's not right. Sakura is with me, and the others would hate me if they knew. I hope you understand that I had to tell you…" His voice faded as he turned back around.

The cold night air was ruthless against Naruto's wet cheeks, but it was nothing compared to the shame and heartbreak he felt at hearing Sasuke's words. How could it not be right? If he was loved more then Sakura, how could it not be right? He kept his eyes closed and head down, not even looking up as Sasuke started to leave. He did have the strength however, to strangle a few very important words, "I wouldn't hate you. I love you."

Sasuke's steps faltered for a moment in shock, but it only took a couple of seconds to right himself. No matter what he was feeling he couldn't look back. No matter what he was feeling he couldn't go comfort his best friend who was left crying out in the cold.

* * *

**-I find disclaimers to be utterly ridiculous. I mean really, why on earth would I be writing fanfiction when I could be drawing pictures of Sasuke and Naruto being 'naughty'?-**


	5. Fix

_Tears stream down your face,_

_I promise you I will learn from my mistakes._

_Tears stream down your face,_

_And I…_

* * *

An empty house, a ticking clock, and the imposter of warmth all greeted Sasuke when he returned home. Everything was the same as he had left it; everything was exactly the same…and yet it wasn't. Wherever he looked all he could see were Naruto's tears-beautiful, painful, and so unexpected. His heart clenched as he remembered his friend's confession, still not daring to believe it himself. 

_I love you._

The words whispered in his mind like a lullaby, entrancing him as he took off his coat and scarf, as he left his shoes by the door, as he undressed and crawled into bed. They consumed him as he closed his eyes for a desperate sleep, hoping for a much better tomorrow. The fates did not hear his cry.

The next three days were agonizing. Contradictory to the previous week, he had yet to have a call or message from Naruto. In fact, his phone had been completely silent since Friday. Sakura, it seemed, had found some reason to be angry with him and avoided him as much as possible. When they were alone in the house, she busied herself with work. When they were supposed to meet for lunch, she made up some excuse not to go. Sasuke was fed up with it.

He chose his moment Monday night whilst she was reading a medical magazine on the couch. He watched her for a second as she licked her fingers and turned the page, wondering if he was really ready for an argument. His body decided for him as he cleared his throat to get her attention. She just flipped another page.

"Sakura," he tried again. Her eyes stopped moving across the page but she didn't look up. What good was ignoring him going to do? "Sakura don't pretend you can't hear me."

In one fluid movement the magazine was slammed onto the coffee table, causing vibrations to coarse through the apartment floor. Sakura's face was now contorted to convey expressions that Sasuke didn't know how to interpret. Her fingers curled over the pages as she thought of what to say, but it was a longer moment before her lips slowly opened. "I saw you."

There will almost always be a moment in one's life when just a few simple words can change the course of their future. For most it was being told "I love you" or "I am sorry," but for Sasuke this was it. This was his moment and the realization of what was about to happen shook him to his core. As despair swam around his insides, his cool manner went on autopilot, refusing any emotion through but anger. "What exactly did you see?"

Her gaze snapped up to meet his and nearly shocked him with her ever-present emotions. Her eyes were welled up with unshed tears of fury and pain and if he were any closer, Sasuke was sure she would smack him. "I was trying to catch up to you and I saw you and Naruto and you said…you said…" She broke then, her composure crumbling with hot rain flowing down her cheeks. "Why didn't you tell me?" she whispered. "We've dated for _two years_. Why didn't you tell me?!"

A twinge of annoyance crossed Sasuke's features. "And how, do you suppose, should I have gone about telling you?" She put a hand to her mouth and shook her head, unable to answer. "I don't see what you're so upset about. I chose you, not him."

She hiccupped and took calming, deep breathes. "It's not that you chose me Sasuke, it's that you had to choose. Do you even love me more than him?" It was an off-handed question only meant to reassure herself. Once her worries were calmed it would be over and they would make-up, never talking about it again. Sasuke knew that...but he didn't answer. "Sasuke, you love me more...right?" She had momentarily stopped the tears, the shaking, the shaky breathing; she was praying inwardly that he was spacing out.

But he couldn't answer. Some part of his brain stopped thinking correctly and his lips refused to obey his orders. He wanted to tell her that he did love her so everything would be normal again, but instead he said, "No, I don't." His eyes averted quickly to the ground in shame. What had he just done? What happened? And then his cheek was on fire, his neck cracked, angry footsteps heading toward the bedroom and back to the door; a faint voice wavered before him.

_"I'm going to Ino's. Don't bother calling. I'm not coming back."_

The door shut, the clicking noise echoing unnaturally in Sasuke's head. He stumbled forward to the couch and rested groggily against the cushions. His world was dissolving mercilessly before his eyes, now what was he to do?

* * *

A cold breeze swept late autumn leaves across the sidewalk, brushing them harshly against his clothes as he walked. The air bit at his porcelain cheeks and threatened his uncovered hands that hid in his coat pockets. He had no idea what he was doing, just where he was going. Even if he wasn't forgiven, he had to at least try. 

The setting sunrays tortured his eyes as he halted before the apartment entrance. Quite honestly, he would much rather have been back at home watching television and taking the easy way out, but that path also lead to solitude and was void of Naruto…forever. Call him crazy, but Sasuke couldn't handle that. He took a few more steps toward the entrance, but just before he could turn in, a flying ball of rusty red fur hurtled into his legs.

_"Kyuubi! Get back here you ingrate!" _Well how convenient. Naruto. Said blonde glared menacingly, both at the man standing before him and at the now purring lump of fuzz in his arms. Life wasn't fair at all. Naruto crossed his arms and looked at the ground beside him, grumbling barely in coherence, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Sasuke arched an eyebrow and set the cat down-how it ended up there he couldn't exactly remember-proceeding to glance around nonchalantly as if he hadn't meant to come by at all. "Well, I had nothing better to do."

A furious growl was thrown his way only to be answered by the slightly bi-polar feline curling around Sasuke's feet. Naruto clenched his fists impatiently and bit his cheek in a serious effort not to lose control. "Shouldn't you be at home with your fucking girlfriend?"

"She left me," he muttered quietly, eyeing an invisible object down the road.

"Why?" Naruto asked, his anger receding with curiosity.

Sasuke turned away from him completely; ready to continue down the sidewalk. "It seems she couldn't handle me loving someone more than her." He threw the blonde a significant look and waited, but when he received no reply he took it as a hint to leave. It wasn't two steps later he was grabbed roughly by the wrist and turned around.

Naruto was just inches from his face, glaring menacingly. "You're not _three_ timing are you?!" At first Sasuke was bewildered, than curious, before finally settling into confidence. What an idiot blonde he had.

He smirked and lifted his free had to touch the other boy's tanned cheek, drawing him closer. "You're such a Dobe." He leaned forward, hovering teasingly before the lips he had wanted so long to taste. In that short moment, there were no more vulnerable people in the world. Their lips touched; time stopped. There was not an instant they could think of more pleasing than that soft, chaste kiss…and the next…and the next…and there would have been more had an angry feline not interrupted them with a growl. It seemed silly, but that kiss took away everything from Naruto-his anger, his pain, his uncertainty-and gave way for a sweet, salvational feeling of content. He was freed.

Sasuke smiled slightly (a rare sight indeed) and bent down to pick up Kyuubi, ignoring the dazed blonde as he turned back toward the apartment. Naruto jumped slightly at the realization of being abandoned and ran to catch up, resisting the urge to pounce his companion. Once there though, he immediately threw a reproachful glance at the cat in his arms. "He only does that for you. It isn't fair."

A mischievous look crossed Sasuke's face as he headed up the metal staircase. "He just knows an intelligent person when he sees one."

Naruto paused before the steps and thought for a moment. "What-"

Lightbulb.

"You fucking bastard!"

* * *

**_Author's Blab:_ **_Well, i'm a day late. My excuse is that I went to a Single Awareness Day dinner with some friends and didn't get home until bed time. Lame I know, but my mom shut my internet off anyway. These last two chapters are the shortest, but that's just because i'm wrapping it all up. With this kind of story I don't pay attention to length anyways-just the meaning that has to be achieved. There is ONE MORE CHAPTER, however inexplicably short it may be, so stick around. I'll probably post it later tonight. _

**-Perlease, it's Valentine's Day for crying out loud. I'm not going to write a disclaimer saying that I don't own Naruto. That's just ridiculous.-**

** _Oh yeah, Happy V-day Everyone! XD_**

_-A_


	6. You

_Lights will guide you home_

_And ignite your bones_

_I will try to fix you_

* * *

Naruto woke slowly to the happy rays of sunshine assaulting his face. His groggy eyes peered open; a smile spreading across his features. Lying rather ungracefully next to him was Sasuke. The raven was splayed out on his stomach, cheek smooshed against his pillow, and a slight puddle of drool congregating beneath his chin. Naruto absolutely_adored_ those moments-when the perfect Mr. Uchiha became…well, human. 

"Find something else to stare at or I'm sending your ass out the door," Sasuke grumbled moodily, flipping over his soaked pillow.

Naruto chuckled good-humoredly. "But Sasuke, you look so cute when you're drooling."

His lover sneered defiantly. "Shut up or get out, moron."

To eat or watch Sasuke…to get up and move or watch Sasuke…Naruto smiled and snuggled deeper into his comforter. It had been three weeks already since Sasuke came to his apartment; since they consoled each other with loving actions rather than words or explanations.

Sakura, it seemed, had unleashed her wrath on every friend she had, though Ino was the only one to give her pity. The other's either didn't care, or had made bets on Sasuke's orientation previously. Needless to say, the pinkette was pissed. It also didn't help that once all of her things had been moved out, they had been immediately replaced with Naruto's. Sasuke's excuse was that he didn't collect knick-knacks and his apartment seemed barren without them. Naruto highly doubted the reason was valid, but didn't question it even so. Besides, it was an excuse to get out of his own crap-for-shit apartment (though he reluctantly had to bring Kyuubi along).

The growling of a stomach interrupted the blonde's thought process, and he was surprised to find it didn't come from himself. Sasuke clenched his hand on the pillow in frustration before sighing in defeat. He pushed himself into a sitting position and threw Naruto a pouty glare saying 'It's my day off and I can't sleep in and it's all your fault.' It was pathetically adorable, but succeeded in making Naruto feel guilty…a little.

"Were you this childish with Sakura?" Boy-wonder questioned with a smirk. He was baiting obviously, but it was too early for Sasuke to care.

The raven settled his hands on either side of his lover's face, leaning in dangerously close with a menacing glare. "Dobe's should learn when to keep their mouth shut." Naruto peered harshly back at him, but before he could think of an adequate reply, Sasuke whispered in his ear, "Naruto, I'm _hungry_."

For once, Naruto clicked on the subject. "I can help you with that."

Through touches of passion and laughter of air, they spoke volumes to each other. The fear, the ice, and the confusion were gone, banished with the broken hearts. Who knew lost souls could be fixed so easily-with a small, innocent kiss?

* * *

_**Author's Blab:** Like I said, it's short. But it was much needed fluff and I had to put the sexual innuendo in there. Anywho, I hope this story cured your boredom. It wasn't meant to amaze anyone, but actually to prove to myself that I could still finish a story. Self confidence is amazing. For those of you who alerted me as an author, it'll be slooow going for a while. To put it into perspective, this story took me three months to write. Hope you don't mind waiting._

_ Laters loves,_

_-A _

* * *


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